Escaparate

/ es-kah-pah-RAH-teh /
ConstructionSpanish
Definition
The factory's cedar-lined conditioning room, where finished cigars rest for weeks while moisture equalizes and the gum sets. Temperature and humidity are held steady and cigars are stacked in wheels or half-wheels.
Why it matters
Cigars boxed straight off the bench carry uneven moisture and rolling stress; the escaparate period is what makes them stable enough to ship and to age.
In context
"They came off the plancha in March and sat in the escaparate until May."